Hi @Aditya sir,
As always a great review and enjoyed reading through the minute details in the review.

The new Ecosport is on the top of my reckoning list alongside the Nexon. Yeah, I do agree with you in terms of its pricing. It's neither VFM nor Overpriced. But then, the feature-to-price ratio makes it look like a good deal (not a great one like the Nexon).

If I were in the market today to buy myself a compact SUV (or rather a hatchback on stilts!) It's definitely the Ecosport which I'd choose. Why so? Simply for that 1.5 TDCi diesel under the hood. It's torquey, refined and has got more than adequate power which can make you grin when you're behind the wheel. What's even more impressive is the new 1.5 Dragon-petrol engine under-the-hood. Save for it being a 3-cylinder unit, it's a great powertrain and Ford has engineered it really well.

Now coming to the interiors, IMO they're a great place to be in (thanks to it being all black interiors). But there are quite a few not-so good finished parts in the interior as pointed out in the review. Really didn't expect this from Ford atleast!

On a related note, I did notice one thing. The button used to tumble down the seat at the rear is a direct lift from the first-gen Figo.

The only complaint what I have is that the MID looks a bit too bland. The MID looks from the ages of 90s and really doesn't match up to the funky interiors of the Ecosport. In contrast, the MID of the Nexon looks a bit-better, though even I don't like it.

Other than that, the all-new Ecosport is a perfect all-rounder which ticks many boxes right and hope that it sells really well.

Brilliant review Aditya, your attention to detail is mind blowing. Ford seems to have done a very good job for the facelift, this one almost feels like a new car.

While buying our Ecosport Titanium + Diesel in 2016, the 4 things I missed most were ESP, Traction Control in Manual variant, Auto Folding Mirror, Rear Camera, Rear AC vents. Apart from Rear AC vents all the other things have made it to the facelift among other new features. Among the things that have gone missing in the facelift I would mostly miss the adjustable lumbar support, the old armrest which was fixed with the driver's seat (new one is only useful for taller people).

The pricing of the new ecosport is definitely not very VFM according to me, just priced par for the course. When we bought our ecosport in September 2016, the Titanium + diesel variant was priced at 10 lakhs ex showroom Guwahati, now the same variant costs over 11 lakhs ex showroom. Though the new car has more features & is a new model, Ford could have priced her a bit low.

So will I buy the Ecosport again in 2018 if I were in the market. If I have the budget for the top variant then there is no competition but if I am looking at the lower variants then TATA Nexon will also be in serious contention or even something like a i20 or a Baleno if ground clearance is not an issue.

The new petrol engine seems to be an improvement from the old 1.5 petrol. I regularly get to drive the old Fiesta with the 1.6 duratec engine, how does this engine compare with the old 1.6 specially in the low & mid range? For me the old 1.6 petrol is one of the best NA petrol engines to be ever sold in the 12 lakh range. About the door ajar not showing the exact door which is open, in the old ecosport the exact door which is open was displayed on the ICE screen.

The facelifted one looks better than the old one from the front and now comes with functional headlamps.

Nokia-type dashboard of the old one is now history!

17 inch wheel looks nice.

3 cylinder engines which were considered oddball and low rent are now getting acceptance into the mainstream.

Torque converter based automatics which were considered old tech are now making a comeback due to their better reliability.

Many smart design innovations in the Dragon engine are already present in our market since Suzuki K, Hyundai Kappa and Honda R/L. Exception is timing belt in Oil that is a new one; Orientals use more conventional timing chain in oil method.

Excellent review! A lot of the members here have been waiting for this one. For someone who wants a combination of safety features + build quality + ground clearance, this car should be a straightforward choice. With the shifting market preference to petrol engines and automatic transmissions, Ford have done the smart thing by introducing their petrol automatic in the top variant. While the touchscreen looks delicious, wish they had given a better looking MID as well. I hope Ford is listening to this feedback!

So now coming to the most important question - Which one to buy among the CSUVs (best petrol and best diesel respectively)? Prime considerations being:

1. Good interior (quality, looks, ergonomics and features)
2. Good space for 5 medium builts
3. Good in gear acceleration and cruising ability, excellent in cabin noise insulation (NVH) and decent power
4. All bells and whistles (in top most variant) at as close to 10 Lakhs as possible (lesser the better)

Here are some pictures of the poorly fit door panels on two cars which I sampled here in Madurai. Even though the car was very good to drive, Ford still has a long way to go in the fit and finish department. Even my 2006 Ford Fiesta ZXi feels better fit than the EcoSport. Maybe Ford is saving some bucks on clips that attach the pad to the door.

I am sure if the Ford performance team in US or UK sees this, they would be stunned that it is actually a Ford when they themselves design such beautiful clusters for the ST or RS cars.

I had buyers remorse when I saw the pricing for the base model Petrol manual Ecosport since it was around the same price I paid for my Aspire S diesel.

For me it was just the looks and performance since the in cabin space is similar and the diesel Ecosport would have been above my budget. So it came down to the 3 cylinder petrol and after reading the review, now that remorse is done with.

Having said that I was impressed when I drove the new petrol engine for its refinement and good response.

A proper facelift from Ford, compared to the sticker facelifts we get from other manufacturers. Great features for the segment. The fit and finish has to improve though.

I am glad that they are offering a top spec automatic, though the price is a little higher. Looking at the sales numbers, I expect some discounts after a few months.

Wish Ford is as good as Honda is space management. Better rear and boot space would have made this a very good value proposition.

Unhappy with the following:
1. No auto locking feature - a glaring miss.
2. MID display - it cannot get basic than this, however functional it is.
3. No rear AC vent. Not a major issue as the AC seems to be powerful.
4. 17" alloy wheels not required, considering the ride quality. Hope they will change it to 16" soon.

This is such a treat!! Brilliant review, and it couldn't have come at a better time. Today I booked the Ecosport Titanium+ TDCi variant and I can't wait to get my hands on the car.

It has been a tough choice, with heart at times swinging to the new Verna SX(O). But given the practicality, top-notch safety and some of the segment first features the Ecpsort offers, decided to make peace with the slightly higher price, lack of space and just went ahead with it. Costed me Rs. 13.04L on road in Hyderabad after some negotiations.

Quoting from my previous post on the Forum discussion thread:

Quote:

But below are the concerns I have with it (of course these are my personal opinions and don't necessarily apply to anyone else):

Armrest is pretty much unusable for me, as it doesn't slide forward (I'm 5' 7).

The AC is effective but given the climate at Hyderabad, a rear AC vent would have been great.

Very small glovebox. Do they even get vents for cooling beverages?

Sound system is average. At this price point, I expected a lot more.

The MID! This will probably top the list of things I don't like about the Ecosport. Experts, can we swap it with the Brazilian one?

I could use some info on the MID!

Last edited by DasJager : 16th January 2018 at 17:00.
Reason: Adding more information

Thanks again Aditya for compiling yet another informative and detailed review. Rated a well-deserved 5 stars for your efforts!

I think Ford should start including these official reviews into their new launch training modules. The level of details you guys cover is well beyond what a fully knowledgeable SA in a showroom would have. Given that most of them carry an IPAD to show off the feature list, having this as a bookmark on their home page wouldn’t hurt them either.

I have been waiting for the team-bhp official review of the refreshed Ecosport ever since it was launched. This being the only car I have shortlisted if vitamin M allows me to upgrade my ride in 2018.

Ecosport was the best car in segment when launched and continues to be even after 5 years! Ford has upped the game by huge margin be it w.r.to engine, feature, safety or interiors. Personally I find the interiors have much better appeal than the Hyundai i20/Creta. Yes there are rough edges but you wont see them most of the times! In person the interiors appear rich and premium.
Some observations I made:
1. While key fob looks upmarket, it looses extremely useful boot release button.
2. The instrument console looks bland in picture but when lit up they look pretty good in person.
3. Headlamp and fog lamp combo illuminates the road quite well.
4. Did not see a major improvement w.r.to suspension, is almost as stiff as earlier.
5.Majority of the changes are in first half- be it interior or exterior. The second half of the car receives very minimal changes compared to first half.